House wrap and method of manufacture

ABSTRACT

A continuous, serpentine and intersecting pattern of filaments is provided on a surface of a house wrap membrane. Water drainage channels may be provided by depressions or viaducts formed at locations along filaments. The filaments may be formed using hot melt nozzles disposed on a member and translated transversely as the membrane is translated longitudinally beneath the nozzles.

CROSS RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application62/306,857, with the same title and inventor, filed on Mar. 11, 2016,which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The field relates to a membrane for wrapping residential and commercialconstruction, which allows humidity to escape but prevents water frompassing through the membrane and its method of manufacture.

BACKGROUND

House wraps are known. U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,607,270 and 7,858,174 was filedAug. 16, 2006 and published Feb. 21, 2008. The reference teachesseparately bonded and spaced apart filaments that do not intersectstretched longitudinally along a house wrap membrane. This strengthensthe membrane longitudinally but fails to strengthen the membranetransverse to the longitudinal direction.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,869,901 describes a protective drainage wrap used toprotect against air infiltration and moisture build-up in buildingswhich include cross-woven or cross-laminate filaments. This increasesthe strength of the membrane both longitudinally and transersely, butthe filaments tend to cause pooling of condensation or water penetratinga facing material. U.S. Pat. No. 2,724,872 describes longitudinal stripsthat are not continuous and do not strengthen a membrane eitherlongitudinally or transversely by does allow for water drainage betweenthe short strips. U.S. Design Pat. No. D657,958 illustrates anornamental serpentine, spaced apart, and non-intersecting array ofdashed filaments, which does not strengthen the membrane.

None of these issued patents have any teaching of continuous,serpentine, intersecting filaments that can be added to a membrane in acontinuous or semicontinuous method.

SUMMARY

A house wrap comprises a membrane and a pattern of continuous, raisedpolymer strands that extend from one side of the membrane of the housewrap to an opposite side of the membrane, as a wavy, intersectingpattern on a surface of the membrane.

In one example, a portion of the raised polymer strands arecomparatively flattened or absent for a distance along the strands toallow for drainage. Even if a portion of a strand is removed or omitted,an intersecting, wavy continuous pattern may provide continuousreinforcement to the underlying membrane of the housewrap. In oneexample, a plurality of flattened portions are disposed at intersectingpoints between two raised, continuous and wavy strands. In anotherexample, flattened portions may be provided at a deflection region, suchas the deflection region at one and/or the opposite side of themembrane. If the housewrap is installed longitudinally along a buildingexterior, then the one and/or the opposite side of the membrane willbecome the top or bottom of the housewrap. Thus, a flattened portion atthe deflection point prevents any significant accumulation of water atthe deflection region, providing a drainage channel for water that couldotherwise accumulate at the deflection region.

Alternatively, the strand may be made such that a bridge and viaductunder the bridge is formed. For example, a substance soluble in asolvent, such as water or alcohol, may be deposited on a surface of themembrane, prior to depositing a comparatively insoluble continuousstrand over the soluble substance. Then, the soluble substance may bedissolved by dipping or spraying the solvent on the membrane, leaving a“via” or viaduct channel beneath the strand.

For example, raised portions of the strand prevent contact of any facingmaterial or exterior treatment onto the surface of the membrane,protecting the surface of the membrane for inadvertent damage duringinstallation or wear and tear by any thermal or humidity derivedexpansion and contraction differences between the substrate and thefacing material or exterior treatment of the building.

Flattened portions or bridges formed in the raised strands providechannels for draining of condensation or any water penetrating thefacing material, preventing any significant accumulation of waterbetween the membrane and the facing material or exterior treatment.

In a method of manufacturing, a layer of a membrane suitable for a housewrap is drawn longitudinally, such as between two rolls, while hot meltnozzles deposit raised strands on a membrane surface of the house wrap.The hot melt nozzles are controlled positionally and temporally, suchthat hot melt may be deposited when and where the hot melt nozzle is indisposed above the membrane surface. For example, each nozzle may becontrolled independently by a 2-D or 3-D position controller or acombination of nozzles may be attached to a structural member, undercontrol of a position controller. In one example, a plurality of hotmelt nozzles are disposed longitudinally along a rigid structuralmember, and the structural member is controlled by a 1-D, bi-directionalcontroller, such that the nozzles are displaced from one side of amembrane to the opposite side of the membrane and back again. Bycontrolling the rate of the displacement of the nozzles and the ratethat the membrane is pulled beneath the nozzles, any continuous way ofhot melt may be deposited onto the surface of the membrane facing thenozzles. In one example, hot melt extrusion through the nozzles iscontrolled temporally, such that the extrusion of hot melt from eachnozzle is controlled independently. For example, extrusion from eachnozzle may be turned on or off at any point along the path that thenozzle takes with respect to the membrane. Thus, hot melt may beextruded only when the nozzle is over the membrane or extrusion may beturned off to provide gaps through which water may drain.

In one example, a house wrap comprises a membrane having a beginning, anend, a first side extending between the beginning and the end, and asecond side, opposite of the first side, the second side extendingbetween the beginning and the end, and the beginning, the first side,the end and the second side defining a perimeter, the perimeter defininga surface area of the membrane, and the surface area of the membranecomprises a top surface and a bottom surface, opposite of the topsurface; and a pattern of a plurality of wavy, intersecting and raisedpolymer strands adhered to the top surface of the membrane and raisedabove the top surface of the membrane, each of the plurality of wavy,intersecting and raised polymer strands comprising a polymer strandextending between the first side of the membrane and the second side ofthe membrane, at a first angle, such that an initial portion of thepolymer strand nearest to the first side of the membrane is at adistance from the end of the membrane greater than a portion of thepolymer strand nearest to the second side of the membrane, and theportion of the polymer strand nearest to the second side of the membraneforms a local minima, reversing direction of the polymer strand backtoward the first side of the membrane at a second angle in a directionaway from the local minima, whereby the polymer strand of each of theplurality of wavy, intersecting and raised polymer strands appears wavy,and each of the plurality of wavy, intersecting and raised polymerstrands are offset one from the other by an offset starting distancesuch that each of the wavy, intersecting and raised polymer strandsintersect with each of the other wavy, intersecting and raised polymerstrands at intersection points, each of the intersection points beingdefined by the crossing of the polymer strand of one of the plurality ofwavy, intersecting and raised polymer strands and the polymer strand ofanother of the plurality of wavy, intersecting and raised polymerstrands, whereby the plurality of wavy, intersecting and raised polymerstrands form the pattern of the plurality of wavy, intersecting andraised polymer strands. A water drainage channel may be provided forwater drainage by a length of a comparatively flattened portion of thepolymer strand of at least one of the plurality of wavy, intersectingand raised polymer strands. Alternatively (or in addition), a waterdrainage channel is provided by a gap along a length of the polymerstrand of at least one of the plurality of wavy, intersecting and raisedpolymer strands, while the pattern of the plurality of wavy,intersecting and raised polymer strands remains continuous from alocation that the begins adjacent to the beginning of the membrane to alocation that the pattern ends adjacent to the end of the membrane. Thisis not contradictory, because a hot melt polymer may be deposited suchthat interconnection points fuse together to form a continuous web ofpolymer strands, even if one or more of the polymer strands have gapsfor water drainage.

For example, the pattern may be a continuous pattern of interconnectingpolymer strands from a location that begins near the beginning of themembrane to a location that ends near the end of the membrane. A lengthof a comparatively flattened portion of a polymer strand (or an omittedportion or drainage channel under a “bridge”) may be disposed at localminima, whereby a path for water drainage is provided at the localminima, for example.

In one example, a pattern of the plurality of wavy, intersecting andraised polymer strands comprises a bridge or bridges. The bridges may bedefined by a length of a portion of the polymer strand raised above thetop surface of the membrane such that a water drainage channel isprovided by a gap between the bridge of the polymer strand and the topsurface of the membrane. While a raised polymer strand may be raised byits thickness, alone, while in contact with the top surface of themembrane, due to selection of temperature, pressure and type of hot meltpolymer, for example, a bridge is raised such that the bottom of thepolymer strand is not in contact with the top surface of the membraneuntil after the polymer strand solidifies, for example.

A plurality of wavy, intersecting and raised polymer strands maycomprise any number of individual strands, such as four polymer strands.In one example, a continuous polymer strand comprises a subsequentportion of the polymer strand extending toward the first side of themembrane that reverses direction of the polymer strand back toward thesecond side of the membrane, defining a local maximum. The polymerstrand may repeat minima and maxima from side to side in order to form acontinuous strand from beginning to end of the membrane. Alternatively,a pattern may be continuous even if any particular strand or strands arenot, because interconnection points can form an interconnected,continuous web of polymer strand segments that are capable ofreinforcing and protecting the more delicate membrane material.

Herein an angle may be defined by the intersection between a firstimaginary line extending normal to either side of the membrane throughlocal minima or maxima of the polymer strand and a second imaginary lineextending from the local minima or maxima to the next local maximum orminimum. This will necessarily result in an acute angle. The acute anglemay be the same for both directions. For example, an angle may beselected in a range from 10 degrees to 50 degrees. In one example, theacute angle is selected in a range from 20 to 40 degrees to provideoptimal numbers of raised polymer strands for protecting and reinforcinga membrane. Depending on the number of strands, the offset spacingbetween strands and the length of the membrane, any acute angle willform a web of polymer strands.

In one example, bridge and viaduct below the bridge is formed bydepositing a water soluble substance on the top surface of the membraneprior to depositing a portion of the polymer strand over the watersoluble substance. Alternatively, a gap or viaduct may be formed, insitu, when water dissolves water soluble substance during or afterinstallation of the house wrap on a wall of the house. Other substancesmay be used that are soluble in solvents other than water. Any of thesesoluble substances may be dissolved prior to installation by spraying ordipping the membrane in the solvent.

The pattern of wavy strands may be defined by a closed geometric shape,wherein three intersection points define three vertices of the geometricshape, a left vertex, a center vertex and a right vertex. An arcdisposed opposite of the center vertex may close the geometric shape,either by passing through the left and right vertices or by passingthrough line segments extending from the left or right vertices.

A method of making a house wrap, comprises drawing a layer of a membranesuitable for use as a house wrap, longitudinally; while drawing,depositing a polymer strand of a hot melt polymer from a hot melt nozzleor nozzles onto the top surface of the membrane; controlling,positionally and temporally, the depositing of hot melt polymer from thehot melt nozzle or nozzles such that a plurality of wavy, intersectingand raised polymer strands are deposited onto the top surface of themembrane in a pattern, wherein each of the polymer strands extendsbetween a first side of the membrane and a second side of the membrane,at a first angle, such that an initial portion of the polymer strandnearest to the first side of the membrane is at a distance from the endof the membrane greater than a portion of the polymer strand nearest tothe second side of the membrane, and the portion of the polymer strandnearest to the second side of the membrane forms a local minima,reversing direction of the polymer strand back toward the first side ofthe membrane at a second angle in a direction away from the localminima, whereby the polymer strand of each of the plurality of wavy,intersecting and raised polymer strands appears wavy, and each of theplurality of wavy, intersecting and raised polymer strands are offsetone from the other by an offset starting distance such that each of thewavy, intersecting and raised polymer strands intersect with each of theother wavy, intersecting and raised polymer strands at intersectionpoints, each of the intersection points being defined by the crossing ofthe polymer strand of one of the plurality of wavy, intersecting andraised polymer strands and the polymer strand of another of theplurality of wavy, intersecting and raised polymer strands, whereby thesteps of depositing and controlling form the pattern of the plurality ofwavy, intersecting and raised polymer strands.

For example, the step of depositing uses a plurality of nozzles, and thestep of controlling controls the plurality of nozzles. The step ofcontrolling may fix the plurality of nozzles to a common nozzle member,and a position controller may move the plurality of nozzles, together,at the same time. An offset distance between each of the plurality ofnozzles may be selected or an offset time for depositing of the hot meltpolymer may be selected or both a combination of an offset distancebetween each of the plurality of nozzles and an offset time fordepositing of the hot melt polymer from each of the plurality of nozzlesmay be selected, such that the pattern of the plurality of wavy,intersecting and raised polymer strands is deposited and adhered ontothe top surface of the membrane. In one example, a flattening device ispositioned, such that the flattening device flattens at least oneportion of at least one polymer strand, such that water drainagechannels are provided over or through which water drains. The step ofpositioning may support a plurality of rollers or wheels using a supportmember such that the rollers or wheels are disposed in a spatialrelation across the width of the membrane and a plurality of polymerstrands are flattened by the plurality of rollers or wheels.Alternatively, flatteners, such as rollers, wheels, knives and the like,may be controlled by robots or other positioners that can independentlyposition these flattening tools.

In one example a substance soluble in a solvent is deposited onto thetop surface of the membrane prior to the step of depositing the strand.During the step of depositing a portion of at least one polymer strandmay be deposited over the substance soluble in a solvent, for example.The viaduct or gap may be formed by dissolving the substance soluble ina solvent prior to installation or in situ. Prior to the step ofdisposing, the substance soluble in the solvent may be selected as awater soluble substance. By leaving the water soluble substance untilafter installation, the bridges are reinforced during handling andinstallation. The water soluble substance may dissolve in situ, wheneverany accumulation of water dissolves the water soluble substance anddrains from drainage channels below the bridges.

In one method one or more rolls or wheels are disposed downstream of thehot melt extrusion, such that the hot melt is flattened by the rolls orwheels rolling over the raised bead of hot melt, before the raised beadof hot melt fully solidifies. For example, this may be used to formflattened regions anywhere along the strand of extruded hot meltincluding at intersection points of strands. In one example, the rolleror wheel is positionable under control of a computerized controller andmay be shifted up or down and/or from one side to the opposite side ofthe membrane. Alternatively, the roller or wheel may be positionedmanually. In one example, a plurality of rollers or wheels are supportedby a cross member and are disposed in a spaced relation across the widthof the membrane.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following drawings are illustrative examples and do not furtherlimit any claims that may eventually issue.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a serpentine pattern of continuousfilaments that intersect on a housewrap and wheels for flatteningportions of raised strands deposited on a membrane in the serpentinepattern.

FIG. 2 illustrates another example of a serpentine pattern of continuousfilaments that intersect on a housewrap.

FIG. 3 illustrates yet another example of a serpentine pattern ofcontinuous filaments that intersect on a housewrap.

FIG. 4 illustrates a side view of a machine for creating a serpentinepattern of continuous filaments that intersect.

FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective, detailed view of a portion of aserpentine pattern, showing a flattened portion of the filament adeflection region.

FIG. 6 illustrates a flow chart for a method of creating a serpentinepattern of continuous filaments that intersect.

FIG. 7 illustrates a perspective, detailed view of a portion of aserpentine pattern, showing a raised portion of the filaments that formsa bridge and viaduct.

FIG. 8 illustrates an example of one step in a method of producing abridge and viaduct.

When the same reference characters are used, these labels refer tosimilar parts in the examples illustrated in the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In one example, such as the illustration in FIG. 1, a plurality ofcontinuous filaments or strands intersect each other. Each raised strandforms a serpentine pattern bonded to a surface of a membrane of a housewrap. The membrane may be any of the well known membranes, such as aTyvek house wrap (Tyvek is a trademark of Dupont). For example, FIG. 1illustrates an example of two filaments 11, 12 that alternatinglyserpentine along a longitudinal direction of house wrap membrane. Thetwo filaments intersect along a center line region 13 of the house wrapmembrane and are bonded to the surface of the membrane. The region forintersection may be controlled along a line (CL) plus or minus adistance (+Z or −Z). In one example, control allows a comparativelynarrow wheel 14 to be used to flatten an intersecting portion of the twofilaments at each intersecting point 31. Alternatively, a wider rollermay be used to flatten each intersecting point. Additional wheels 15 orrollers may be positioned to flatten other regions of the raisedstrands, such as illustrated in FIG. 5, for example, where a deflectionregion 31, 32 of each raised strand may be flattened, leaving a drainagechannel D to prevent any significant accumulation of water at thedeflection region.

For example, in FIG. 1, the two filaments may be deposited onto asurface of the membrane 10 from two hot melt nozzles 41, 42 incorporatedinto a hot melt machine and independently controlled.

Hot melt machinery and parts are used to accomplish a variety of hotmelt applications, such as machines made by the Nordson Corporation, forexample.

In other examples, such as in FIGS. 2 and 3, a plurality of continuousfilaments 11, 12, 17, 18, greater than two, are bonded to a surface of amembrane 10 in a serpentine, continuous and interconnected pattern froma plurality of hot melt nozzles 43-46 mounted to a rigid structure 50.In each of these examples, each filament extends from one side 16 of amembrane film 10 to an opposite side 19 of the membrane film 10, whilealso extending longitudinally along the length of the membrane film. By“from” and “to” it should be understood that the raised strandapproaches but need not reach the one side of the opposite side.Instead, “from” and “to” may be understood as meaning the raised strandsextend continuously across substantially all of the width of themembrane, leaving a narrow border free of hot melt filaments.

Melters, hot melt adhesive hoses and other hot melt parts may be coupledin a machine to connect to the plurality of nozzles for depositingcontinuous filaments of hot melt polymer as a raised filament bonded tothe surface of a membrane. For example, hot melt filaments may be madeof ethylene vinyl acetate copolymers or EVA, among them arestyrene-isoprene-styrene (SIS copolymers), styrene-butadiene-styrene(SBS copolymers), and ethylene ethyl acrylate copolymers (EEA), whichmay be mixed with a variety of plasticizers, waxes, and resins thatoptimize performance. In one example, the hot melt adhesive is apolyurethane reactive (PUR), which sets up rapidly, rapidly meaning inmere seconds, and then is rigid in a matter of minutes, which makes itparticularly useful for creating continuous filaments and for formingflattened portions in the continuous filaments. More than a few secondsmay be provided between deposition of the hot melted PUR and theflattening of the hot melted PUR by a wheel. By flattening the hotmelted PUR before it becomes entirely rigid, a non-stick or non-stickcoated wheel may be used to flatten the strands, rather than resortingto higher pressure and/or temperature rollers. For example, a pluralityof flattening wheels 14, 15 may be rotatably mounted to a support arm 91supported by a pair of fixed supports 90. One or more may bepositionable in a transverse direction E to the longitudinal directionof travel B of the membrane 10, for example.

In FIG. 2, three nozzles 43-45 are disposed longitudinally along a rigidmember 50. The rigid member 50 is elongated in the longitudinaldirection and is coupled to a position controller 60 comprising a motorand a positioning mechanism. For example, the positioning mechanism maycomprise a threaded screw 61 and a matingly threaded block 62, whichmoves along the screw 61 as the screw is rotated clockwise orcounterclockwise. A rigid support frame 63, 64 may be fixedly mountedand may be coupled to the screw by roller bearings 65, for example.Alternatively, a rod 61 may be unthreaded and may merely guide the rigidmember 50 under control of a mechanical arm or cable positioner, forexample. Preferably, the controller 60 includes a positive feedback fordetermining the position of the hot melt nozzles, at leastintermittently, such as a limit switch 66 or the like. For example, itis known to include a sensor for determining when a motor makes acomplete revolution about an axis for determining the location of ablock 62 on a screw 61. Combination of a positive feedback switch 66 anda sensor provides positive feedback for ensuring that the sensor isoperating properly. Also, one or more limit switches 66 may prevent thecontroller 60 from continuing beyond a point where damage to equipmentor injury to an operating may occur. In one example, one or more rods 68and roller bearings 69 are added for structural stability and to preventbinding during translation of the nozzles 43-45 back and forth acrossthe membrane 10.

In the example of FIG. 3, a chain 71 and chain drive gears 72 positivelycouple threaded rods 61, 68 to the rigid member 50. The rigid member 50is positionable in a back and forth transverse direction A relative to alongitudinal direction of movement B of an underlying membrane 10.

In FIG. 4, an example of a machine is shown. A plurality of nozzles aredisposed in a line along rigid member, wherein the rigid member istranslatable transversely across the surface of membrane, as themembrane is translated longitudinally. Each nozzle may begin ejectinghot melt material independently; therefore, a continuous filament of hotmelt may be provided by each nozzle in turn, such that a pattern ofintersecting, serpentine, continuous filaments is disposed onto thesurface of the membrane. For example, two filaments are disposed on asurface as shown in FIG. 1 by activating a first nozzle 1 and a thirdnozzle 3 in turn, while translating the membrane in a longitudinaldirection and translating the rigid member transversely first in onetransverse direction and then in a second transverse direction.

FIG. 4 shows a side view of a plurality of rollers 15, each roller 15may be able to be raised or lowered in an up and down direction F andmoved transversely, as needed, even while continuing to rotate in arotational direction W+ or W−. The rollers 15 flatten only a portion ofthe filaments. For example, one roller 15 may be disposed along a centerline region CL of a membrane 10. For example, FIG. 5 represents apartial detail view of a flattened region, which may be either a centerline CL region or a deflection region 31, 32. This partial, detail viewwould look the same in both regions, with a flattened portion 32 andraised portions 12, 12′ leaving a gap D between the raised portions 12,12′. A roller or wheel 15 is shown downstream of the flattened portion32, after flattening the flattened portion 32. When the roller 15 isdisposed in direction X to flatten each point of intersection between afirst filament 11 and the second filament 12, one of the raised portions12′ is a portion of the first filament 11 and the other raised portion12 is the second filament 12. Alternatively, when the raised portions12, 12′ are flattened at a deflection point, then each raised portion12, 12′ is of the same filament 12. Continuity of the filamentsstrengthen the membrane in every direction while providing for drainageof water. The flattened portions 32 may improve bonding between thefilaments and the surface of the membrane, also.

In FIG. 6, an example of a method of making a membrane with a pattern ofcontinuous, raised polymer strands that extend from one side of themembrane of the house wrap to an opposite side of the membrane, as awavy, intersecting pattern on a surface of the membrane, is described inrelation to a flow diagram. At step 1, a first nozzle 11 is disposedabove a surface of a membrane 10. A hot melt is directed to and extrudedfrom the nozzle 11 in step 2, as both the nozzle and the membrane aretranslated. The membrane may be translated in a first direction B andthe nozzle may be translated in a direction A transverse to thedirection of the membrane B, as illustrated in FIG. 1, for example. InFIG. 6, a decision loop P monitors the process and determines whencontrol of the nozzles is required. For example, decision loop Pdetermines if an additional nozzle, such as second nozzle 12 in FIG. 1,is disposed over a proximal surface of the membrane 10, or if one ormore of the nozzles reaches a side of the membrane 10, or if one or moreof the nozzles reaches a distal surface of the membrane 10. This can bedetermined from sensors, delay circuits, limit switches or a combinationof these, for example.

When a second nozzle 12 is disposed over the membrane 10, then hot meltmay be directed and extruded from the second nozzle in step 3. Forexample, an additional nozzle 12 may be disposed at a distance C in thelongitudinal direction B from the first nozzle, as illustrated in FIG.1, for example. Thus, the decision P to commence extruding hot melt fromthe second nozzle 12 in step 3 may be based on a time delay calculatedby the distance C divided by a rate of movement of the membrane 10 inthe B direction integrated over time. The integral of (db/dt) from someinitial time, t1, which corresponds to the onset of hot melt extrusionfrom the first nozzle, to some intermediate time tc, which correspondsto the time it takes for the membrane to move a distance C, can becalculate if the rate of movement of the membrane 10 is known ormeasured. If the rate of movement of the membrane 10 is a constant X (indistance (m)/time (seconds)), then tc equals the distance C divided bythe rate X (i.e. C/X), for example. If more than two nozzles are to beactivated, then the same process may be repeated in a similar fashionfor each nozzle, based on the distance between each additional nozzleand the first nozzle.

When one or more of the nozzles reaches either side of the membrane 10,then decision loop P activates a stopping and reversal of the directionstep 4 for the movement of the one or more nozzles. This may bedetermined by a signal from a controller 60, a limit switch 66, a delaytimer based on the rate of movement (as before) or a combination ofthese. For example, if all of the nozzles are disposed on a rigidmember, then a signal can be used to stop and reverse direction ofmovement for all of the nozzles at the same time. Alternatively, eachnozzle may be controlled independently.

When one or more of the nozzles reaches a distal surface of the membrane10, then hot melt extrusion from that nozzle is terminated in a nozzleoff step 5. The location of the distal surface in relation to the firstnozzle 11 may be determined manually or automatically, using knownlengths, sensors, switches or the like. Then, determining the time forstopping extrusion of hot melt from the subsequent nozzles may bedetermined similarly to the decision to commence the onset of hot meltextrusion, using a time delay based on distance between the first nozzleand subsequent nozzles and the rate of movement of the membrane 10, forexample. When all of the nozzles are turned off, then the method ofmaking a membrane with a pattern of continuous, raised polymer strandsthat extend from one side of the membrane of the house wrap to anopposite side of the membrane, as a wavy, intersecting pattern on asurface of the membrane is ended, step E.

In one example, a set of rollers or a wheel is used for flattening aportion of a filament. In this method, the wheels may be set up manuallyor using position controllers prior to the onset of laying filamentsonto a surface of the membrane, for example. Alternatively, the heightabove the membrane and transverse positioning may be controlled duringthe process of extruding hot melt from the nozzles.

In an alternative example, instead of causing depressions in thefilaments, using wheels or rollers, a process may raise portions 101 ofthe filaments 11 (referred to as “bridges”) to extend above the surfaceof the membrane, as illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8, leaving an opening 103(referred to a “via” or “viaduct”) under each of the bridges 101, forexample. For example, the raised portions 101 may be provided by raisingthe nozzles or slowing the extrusion of hot melt through the nozzles atcertain positions along the path of the nozzle, leaving a gap betweenthe filament 11 and the membrane 10. This may introduce “bridges” of hotmelt, if the hot melt is extruded at a temperature where the hot meltdoes not readily slump to the the underlying surface, without leaving agap. This may be controlled by temperature and pressure of the hot meltnozzle, for example, in addition to raising or reducing the extrusionrate of the hot melt from the nozzle. The channel or slit (referred toas a “via” or “viaduct”) below the bridge provides for water drainageunder the filament, for example. In some cases, a hot melt nozzle mayneed to be raised, such as to create a bridge or when one nozzle crossesa filament of another nozzle, at an intersection point. Determining theneed to raise a nozzle, if raising of a nozzle is provided in thecontrol mechanism, may be implemented using an optical or infraredimager, for example. For example, an infrared imager could detectresidual heat of the extruded hot melt. Alternatively, if the nozzle israised during the step of stopping and reversing direction 4, then theraising and re-lowering of a nozzle or nozzles could be controlled aspart of the sequence for stopping and reversing direction 4. As anotheralternative, raising and lowering of a nozzle when a nozzle crosses afilament laid by a preceding nozzle or a soluble viaduct material may becontrolled by a proximity sensor, wherein the proximity sensor isdisposed in advance of the nozzle and is used for controlling theraising and lowering of the nozzle based on the distance between theproximity sensor and the nozzle and the rate of movement of the membrane(as before), for example.

In one example, a soluble viaduct material 109 may be provided on thesurface of the membrane 10, such as a bead of sugar, and a hot meltfilament 11, which is not soluble in a solvent, such as PUR, could bedeposited over the viaduct material 109, as illustrated schematically inthe detailed view of FIG. 8, for example. Subsequently, the viaductmaterial 109 may be dissolved by a solvent spray or dipping in asolvent, such as water or alcohol, to remove the viaduct material 109,leaving a viaduct 103 under a bridge 101 of solidified hot melt, forexample. Other material and solvent combinations may be used to createthe bridge and viaduct, without limiting the invention. In any case, thesurface could be sprayed with a solvent or dipped in a solvent thatdissolves the soluble substance, while leaving the bridge in place,after an insoluble filament or ribbon is solidified and bonded to themembrane, except where the viaduct material has formed a viaduct underthe filament. In one alternative example, non-stick rods are disposedalong the borders and deployed with linear actuators such that each rod105 is disposed where a nozzle is located and each rod 105 is extendedand withdrawn, mechanically, when a nozzle 43 is disposed over the rod105. In one example, the rods 105 are made of a non-stick material, suchas Teflon, or have a non-stick coating. In one example, the rod 105 iscooled by a thermoelectric cooler or a cooling liquid or gas, furtherincreasing the rate of solidification of the filament.

In one example, condensation or water penetrating through a facingmaterial and to a membrane 10 is diverted from a seam 120 (or edge ofmembrane) between membranes by a gap 124 or a viaduct 121 of a raisedportion of a filament. The liquid 123, 124 is directed along a raisedfilament to a viaduct 125 away from the seam 120 by following along thefilament 11.

This detailed description provides examples including features andelements of the claims for the purpose of enabling a person havingordinary skill in the art to make and use the inventions recited in theclaims. However, these examples are not intended to limit the scope ofthe claims, directly. Instead, the examples provide features andelements of the claims that, having been disclosed in thesedescriptions, claims and drawings, may be altered and combined in waysthat are known in the art.

What is claimed is:
 1. A house wrap comprises: a membrane having abeginning, an end, a first side extending between the beginning and theend, and a second side, opposite of the first side, the second sideextending between the beginning and the end, and the beginning, thefirst side, the end and the second side defining a perimeter, theperimeter defining a surface area of the membrane, and the surface areaof the membrane comprises a top surface and a bottom surface, oppositeof the top surface; and a pattern of a plurality of wavy, intersectingand raised polymer strands adhered to the top surface of the membraneand raised above the top surface of the membrane, each of the pluralityof wavy, intersecting and raised polymer strands comprising a polymerstrand extending between the first side of the membrane and the secondside of the membrane, at a first angle, such that an initial portion ofthe polymer strand nearest to the first side of the membrane is at adistance from the end of the membrane greater than a portion of thepolymer strand nearest to the second side of the membrane, and theportion of the polymer strand nearest to the second side of the membraneforms a local minima, reversing direction of the polymer strand backtoward the first side of the membrane at a second angle in a directionaway from the local minima, whereby the polymer strand of each of theplurality of wavy, intersecting and raised polymer strands appears wavy,and each of the plurality of wavy, intersecting and raised polymerstrands are offset one from the other by an offset starting distancesuch that each of the wavy, intersecting and raised polymer strandsintersect with each of the other wavy, intersecting and raised polymerstrands at intersection points, each of the intersection points beingdefined by the crossing of the polymer strand of one of the plurality ofwavy, intersecting and raised polymer strands and the polymer strand ofanother of the plurality of wavy, intersecting and raised polymerstrands, whereby the plurality of wavy, intersecting and raised polymerstrands form the pattern of the plurality of wavy, intersecting andraised polymer strands, and wherein a water drainage channel is providedby a gap along a length of the polymer strand of at least one of theplurality of wavy, intersecting and raised polymer strands, while thepattern of the plurality of wavy, intersecting and raised polymerstrands remains continuous from a location where the pattern beginsadjacent to the beginning of the membrane to a location where thepattern ends adjacent to the end of the membrane.
 2. The house wrap ofclaim 1, wherein the pattern of the plurality of wavy, intersecting andraised polymer strands comprises a bridge defined by a length of aportion of the polymer strand raised above the top surface of themembrane, a space between the bridge of the polymer strand and the topsurface of the membrane defining the gap of the such that a waterdrainage channel.
 3. The house wrap of claim 1, wherein the plurality ofwavy, intersecting and raised polymer strands comprises four polymerstrands.
 4. The house wrap of claim 1, wherein a subsequent portion ofthe polymer strand extending toward the first side of the membranereverses direction of the polymer strand back toward the second side ofthe membrane, defining a local maxima.
 5. The house wrap of claim 4,wherein the second angle is defined by the intersection between animaginary line extending normal to the second side through the localminima of the polymer strand and an imaginary line extending from thelocal minima to the local maxima, and the second angle is selected in arange from 10 degrees to 50 degrees.
 6. The house wrap of claim 5,wherein the second angle is selected in a range from 20 to 40 degrees.7. The house wrap of claim 1, wherein the pattern is defined by a closedgeometric shape, wherein three intersection points define three verticesof the geometric shape, a left vertex, a center vertex and a rightvertex, and an arc opposite of the center vertex closes the geometricshape.
 8. A house wrap comprises: a membrane having a beginning, an end,a first side extending between the beginning and the end, and a secondside, opposite of the first side, the second side extending between thebeginning and the end, and the beginning, the first side, the end andthe second side defining a perimeter, the perimeter defining a surfacearea of the membrane, and the surface area of the membrane comprises atop surface and a bottom surface, opposite of the top surface; and apattern of a plurality of wavy, intersecting and raised polymer strandsadhered to the top surface of the membrane and raised above the topsurface of the membrane, each of the plurality of wavy, intersecting andraised polymer strands comprising a polymer strand extending between thefirst side of the membrane and the second side of the membrane, at afirst angle, such that an initial portion of the polymer strand nearestto the first side of the membrane is at a distance from the end of themembrane greater than a portion of the polymer strand nearest to thesecond side of the membrane, and the portion of the polymer strandnearest to the second side of the membrane forms a local minima,reversing direction of the polymer strand back toward the first side ofthe membrane at a second angle in a direction away from the localminima, whereby the polymer strand of each of the plurality of wavy,intersecting and raised polymer strands appears wavy, and each of theplurality of wavy, intersecting and raised polymer strands are offsetone from the other by an offset starting distance such that each of thewavy, intersecting and raised polymer strands intersect with each of theother wavy, intersecting and raised polymer strands at intersectionpoints, each of the intersection points being defined by the crossing ofthe polymer strand of one of the plurality of wavy, intersecting andraised polymer strands and the polymer strand of another of theplurality of wavy, intersecting and raised polymer strands, whereby theplurality of wavy, intersecting and raised polymer strands form thepattern of the plurality of wavy, intersecting and raised polymerstrands, wherein a water drainage channel is provided for water drainageby a length of a comparatively flattened portion of the polymer strandof at least one of the plurality of wavy, intersecting and raisedpolymer strands.
 9. The house wrap of claim 8, wherein the pattern iscontinuous pattern of interconnecting polymer strands from a locationthat begins near the beginning of the membrane to a location that endsnear the end of the membrane.
 10. The house wrap of claim 8, wherein thelength of the comparatively flattened portion of the polymer strand isdisposed at the local minima, whereby a path for water drainage isprovided at the local minima.
 11. A house wrap comprises: a membranehaving a beginning, an end, a first side extending between the beginningand the end, and a second side, opposite of the first side, the secondside extending between the beginning and the end, and the beginning, thefirst side, the end and the second side defining a perimeter, theperimeter defining a surface area of the membrane, and the surface areaof the membrane comprises a top surface and a bottom surface, oppositeof the top surface; and a pattern of a plurality of wavy, intersectingand raised polymer strands adhered to the top surface of the membraneand raised above the top surface of the membrane, each of the pluralityof wavy, intersecting and raised polymer strands comprising a polymerstrand extending between the first side of the membrane and the secondside of the membrane, at a first angle, such that an initial portion ofthe polymer strand nearest to the first side of the membrane is at adistance from the end of the membrane greater than a portion of thepolymer strand nearest to the second side of the membrane, and theportion of the polymer strand nearest to the second side of the membraneforms a local minima, reversing direction of the polymer strand backtoward the first side of the membrane at a second angle in a directionaway from the local minima, whereby the polymer strand of each of theplurality of wavy, intersecting and raised polymer strands appears wavy,and each of the plurality of wavy, intersecting and raised polymerstrands are offset one from the other by an offset starting distancesuch that each of the wavy, intersecting and raised polymer strandsintersect with each of the other wavy, intersecting and raised polymerstrands at intersection points, each of the intersection points beingdefined by the crossing of the polymer strand of one of the plurality ofwavy, intersecting and raised polymer strands and the polymer strand ofanother of the plurality of wavy, intersecting and raised polymerstrands, whereby the plurality of wavy, intersecting and raised polymerstrands form the pattern of the plurality of wavy, intersecting andraised polymer strands, and wherein the pattern of the plurality ofwavy, intersecting and raised polymer strands comprises a bridge definedby a length of a portion of the polymer strand raised above the topsurface of the membrane wherein a water drainage channel is provided bya gap between the bridge of the polymer strand and the top surface ofthe membrane, and wherein the bridge is formed by depositing a watersoluble substance on the top surface of the membrane prior to depositinga portion of the polymer strand over the water soluble substance, andthe gap is formed, in situ, when water dissolves the water solublesubstance before, during or after installation of the house wrap on thewall of a house.